Wonderful Tonight
by nelliesbones
Summary: On New Year's Eve Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan find themselves on the brink of something amazing. As always: Spoilerfree, warmhearted and M for a reason.
1. Something Old

_This is just sweet fluff I wrote in the night before New Year's Eve. Many thanks to mellybee101 who did a wonderful spontaneous beta job. Love you!_

Wonderful Tonight

I. Something Old

It was the last night of the year. New Year's Eve. A few hours from now everything would come to full circle. Temperance Brennan was standing in a festively decorated ballroom, a long glass full of exquisite champagne in her slender hand.

She wore a long black dress that emphasized her perfect body, a low V-neck revealing creamy skin, the lace-trimmed hem playing around her ankles. Her silky auburn hair was pinned up, only a few loose curls falling freely into her face.

Soft tunes and light conversation were flowing in the air, but Brennan was slightly bored. She had never been able to understand the necessity of small talk, even though Booth had tried to explain it to her on a regular bare. Easy topics. Connect with others. Just because.

Shifting from one food to the other, she let her eyes wander over the room. Everything seamed to sparkle – people, glasses, candles – as if every animated or inanimate object in the room was awaiting midnight eagerly.

For Temperance Brennan it was just a night like all the other ones, the meaning people had given to it artificial and shallow. The magic of New Year's Eve had never grown on her.

Suddenly the hair on her nape was tingling and she straightened her back. Searching for the source of her agitation, she heard a raspy voice behind her back.

"Hi Cinderella."

A smile brightened her face. Booth. Tilting her head slightly, her curls brushed his nose.

"Why are you calling me like a fairytale princess?"

"Dunno. Maybe because you look like one, and I'm afraid that you'll disappear at midnight? Whom should I kiss, then?"

"What makes you assume I would let you kiss me?"

She felt the shrug of his shoulders.

"Logic? All the other options seem to be worse to me."

Brennan pondered his words for a moment. Would she kiss him? Of late their flirting had gotten bolder and bolder, was slowly spiraling out of control. Somehow it seemed as if inviting her partner into her bed had become almost inevitable. Still, there were reasons why she shouldn't sleep with Booth. A few of them were actually good ones.

Turning around fully, she took him in for the first time. The black tux hugged his muscular body perfectly, the white shirt an alluring contrast to his bronze skin. His face was smooth, and she could smell traces of his shaving cream.

He looked like the picture of a man right out of a catalog, and something inside of her shifted.

Lifting her hand to his face, she traced the outline of his tempting mouth with her fingertip.

"Booth, we are playing with fire."

"I know."

His lips moved as he spoke, and for the fraction of a second she could feel his tongue flickering over her finger.

Sucking in a breath, she looked at him with wide eyes. Then she removed her hand while bowing her head, breaking the gaze and the spell, her long lashes casting a shadow on her pink cheeks. Booth wondered how someone could look so sensual and so innocent at the same time.

Temperance Brennan was one of a kind. She challenged him like no one else, complemented him as a partner. He would save her ass just as much as she would save his, but tonight she was just a woman, and all he wanted to do was to treat her like one.

He was a full-grown man in his mid-thirties, no romantic fool, but in these last hours of the year he felt like a teenager again who wanted to climb up to the sky and pluck every single star from the firmament to shower a beautiful woman with the magic of it.

Cupping her chin between two fingers, he tilted her head to look into her eyes.

"Any last words about the passing year?"

She narrowed her eyes, and he knew that she was thinking. That little frown appeared on her brow, and for a moment he felt the urge to kiss it away. His heart skipped a beat – and then the moment was gone, and he awaited her eloquent answer.

"We were successful. A good team. We brought closure to a lot of families, and I'm thankful for that."

He nodded, completely in agreement with her. Still, something more personal would have been nice as well, and with sudden boldness he decided to challenge her.

"I'm glad for the opportunity to spend the last hours of the year in the company of the most beautiful and inspiring woman I know."

For a second her eyes flickered away, as if searching for the woman he had mentioned. Then it dawned on her.

Oh! Oh...

A flush covered her high cheekbones, adding a shade of vulnerability to her beauty that took his breath away.

"Well... thanks. I enjoy your company as well. You look very handsome tonight."

'Great, Temperance, what a well-spoken reply. Nonchalant and worldly. Or not.᾽

Much to her surprise he took her hand, whirling her around in a slow circle.

"And you look simply stunning. As if you actually believed in the magic of this special night."

Noticing her blush, he smirked.

"Relax, your secret is safe with me. I won't tell anyone that you are the New Year's Eve equivalent of the Grinch."

Puzzlement washed over her face, and he placed his forefinger over her rose petal lips before she could say it.

"You don't know what that means, I get it."

He had made her speechless, but still his finger lingered on her lips, and the contact sent warmth through her whole body.

"You want another glass of champagne?"

Brennan nodded. She wasn't sure if she really needed more alcohol right now, but she was positive that a break from _this_ might be a good idea – whatever _this_ was. Despite the party around them, she felt as if she was alone with Booth, all her senses focused on her partner.

She exhaled in relief as she saw him walk away with their glasses, her gaze falling to his midsection. Whenever she was near Booth, it seemed as if she was captivated by his dark coal eyes, but she had to admit that his backside was a pretty nice view as well.

Twisting her empty hands, Brennan looked around, taking in her surroundings. People were laughing, drinking, dancing, and since it was the annual Jeffersonian New Year's Eve party, their friends should be somewhere as well. Nevertheless, she hadn't spotted them, yet.

Brennan didn't know that Angela and Cam had observed her interaction with Booth with deep interest. No detail went by unnoticed; her finger tracing his lips as little as the movement of dark satin over narrow hips as he whirled her around to appreciate her look.

Sharing the smile of conspirators, the artist and the pathologist vowed not to intrude on the the sweet intimacy that surrounded the two partners like an invisible shield. New Year's Eve was a pretty good opportunity to live a little – or a little bit more – and the two women agreed that it was about time for Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan to realize how damned perfect they were for each other.

Toasting at each other with their own glasses of bubbly drinks, they watched how Booth approached his partner with two fresh glasses in his hands. Their lips formed a simultaneous "Aw" as he handed one glass over to her, his fingers brushing hers and lingering for a moment longer than necessary. They noticed the rosy color on the anthropologist's cheeks, the flutter of her heavy eyelids.

'How does he do it?᾽ She was a world-renowned professional in her field and a best-selling author, but tonight Brennan felt herself respond like her sixteen-years old self if ever given the opportunity.

Raising his glass at her, Booth spoke,

"To old endings and new beginnings."

Murmuring something in response, she touched his glass with hers, the chinking noise vibrating between them. The lyrics of Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight" filled the air, and Booth felt something tug at his heart.

_We go to a party and everyone turns to see this beautiful lady that's walking around with me. And then she asks me, "Do you feel all right?" And I say, "Yes, I feel wonderful tonight." _

"Dance with me, Bones."

Her eyebrows arched, and she wondered about the wisdom of touching him in the intimate embrace of a dance.

"You're sure about this? I can be quite clumsy," she tried to joke, but he just looked at her in earnest.

"I'll take the risk."

Removing the glass from her, he took her small hand into his big one. It felt almost fragile, and he thought about the miracles she could perform with those hands.

'Not tonight, though,᾽ he decided, tonight there was nothing than touching and feeling for her talented hands. Warm, living flesh underneath her long fingers, no rotten bones. He traced the outline of her dolphin ring with his thumb, and the gesture sent a rush of affection to her core.

Her mother's ring. The one her father had given to her. A father who would have been lost if it hadn't been for Booth. It was his achievement that she had a family now; his faith that had made her strong enough to accept the love of those ones who had hurt her so deeply. And her life was richer now. Because of him.

Something inside of her crumbled, corroded like a long-burned tree at the first wisp of wind, and when they reached the dance floor, he opened his arms for her.

Without much ado she accepted the invitation, curling into his embrace. One arm snaked around her waist, the palm resting on the small of her back like it had so many times before. His other hand didn't let go of hers, clasping it completely and holding it close to his strong heartbeat.

It felt right, and without hesitation Brennan wrapped her free arm around his neck, burying her hand in the soft hair on his nape, running it through her fingers.

_I feel wonderful because I see the love light in your eyes. And the wonder of it all is that you just don't realize how much I love you. _

She felt his soft sigh more than she heard it, and her head found its place on his shoulder, inhaling deeply. Contentment lowered her guard, and she was surprised by her own words.

"Booth, out of all the ways one could do to mark the end of a year and the beginning of a new one, this is the best."

He lowered his head and whispered the hint of a kiss over her cheekbone, so feather-light that she might have imagined it.

"This is close to perfect, but I could think of some things even better."

She lifted her head and found his deep, dark orbs so close to her own. It was a moment of truth, nothing left to hide.

"Are you positive we should go there?"

He regarded her silently for a moment, gently swaying her to the music that was still telling about beauty and longing.

"It depends what 'there᾽ is. What do you see at the end of this road, Temperance?"

Her first name spoken in this husky voice of his, so rarely heard, caressed her like a warm summer breeze and sent languorous shivers down her spine.

She bowed her head, buried it in the safety of his shoulder one more time, and he caressed her back tenderly.

"If we can't name it, we probably shouldn't go there, honey."

She panted, this name creating even stronger tingles of warmth.

"What do _you_ see at the end of this path, Booth?"

Standing at a crossroads, Booth looked into both directions thoroughly before giving his answer.

"I see you. No matter where I look."

She snuggled deeper into his arms.

"You see me?"

"Yes. Somehow you _are_ every path I want to choose. I see my brilliant partner in a blue lab coat, arguing with me. I see a wonderful woman in a long black dress who feels so soft in my arms. I see you... in my home. And every single image feels right."

Taking in his words, she sought comfort in his familiar scent, rubbing her nose against the starchy collar of his shirt.

"But which one would you choose?"

His lips touched the crown of her hair, and this time she could actually feel the kiss.

"If it's up to me... All of them. It's greedy and probably asked for too much, but I want it all. The partner, the woman... the home."

They danced in silence for a while, Eric Clapton making way for Bob Dylan.

"But if it's asked for too much, Bones, let's just enjoy this dance, say goodbye to each other at the end of the night and meet again on Monday. As partners, friends and nothing more."

She didn't respond for a long while, and Booth wondered if he had said something wrong, gambled too high.

Finally she lifted her head, and he was taken aback by the depth in her iris blue eyes.

"Booth, I could see it as well. You..."

He loosened his hold on her hand to cup her cheek with his palm, and immediately she leaned into his touch, so trusting.

"But is it what you want?"

"I don't want to drift anymore, fully aware of the possibilities but not brave enough to take a chance. But I don't want to lose you, either, jeopardize what we have. It's too important. _You_ are too important to me, Booth."

Drawing her into both arms, flush to his body, he rested his chin on top of her head, enjoying her height in the unusual flat shoes she wore tonight.

"There's still one hour of the old year left, Bones, maybe we should use the time to talk about the things we both _don't_ want."

"I don't want to lose you," tumbled out of her mouth.

"That's settled. I would never risk that, either."

Relief flooded her, and she wrapped her arms around his midsection, barely noticing the music or their surroundings anymore.

"I don't want to have crappy sex with you, Booth."

He chuckled at this ridiculous concern of her, remembering a conversation.

"I'm pretty sure we could never have crappy sex, Bones. We have the spark. But I'm awfully glad that this is only your second biggest concern."

"Don't make fun of me, Booth," she whispered seriously, and he kissed her head one more time.

"Sorry, Babe. I don't want to have an elephant in the room, awkwardness we can't work around."

Taking her time to understand the metaphor, she nodded.

"No awkwardness. I don't want to disappoint you, Booth."

Truly surprised, he wondered,

"How could you ever think I'd be disappointed by you?"

"You have your morals, and your beliefs are so strong. You're a family man. You have so much faith."

"And most of all I have faith in you. Temperance, I _know_ you. I know who you are. I don't harbor secret picket-fences dreams that center around you. I would never press you into a life you don't want to. You're so wonderful."

"I'm not good at relationships, Booth."

"But you are good with me. And you're stubborn. If you decide to be with me, I have full faith in this stubbornness of yours to make it work."

"I can't promise you forever. I don't believe in forever."

He had to admit that this was a big one to work around, and he processed her sentence for a minute.

"Forever is nothing more than a succession of moments. One step after another. Can you give me one step?"

Pondering his logic, she nodded.

"I can. And I can already promise you the next one. Putting it that way, forever doesn't seem so awfully scary anymore."

"Monogamy. If we don't say goodbye to each other at the end of this night, Bones, I need to awake next to you, knowing that you won't flinch when I reach out to touch you. And that there wouldn't be anybody else to touch you."

"I can accept this. I don't want to picture you with another woman either. And I promise not to flinch."

"I don't want to eat salad for the rest of my life."

She almost laughed, but lifting her head, she found his eyes deadly serious.

"Oh, don't worry. You can eat what you want. Although the nutrition value of burgers and fries is highly doubtful."

"That's interesting because you use to eat most of my fries whenever I order them."

She shrugged, deciding wisely to let him have that one.

"I don't want to be consumed by feelings. I need a clear head for my work, and I can't allow myself the luxury to be distracted all the time."

He looked at her incredulously.

"Seriously? Then we have our first real problem because I have every intention to make you feel as much as possible as soon as I'm alone with you. Feelings you won't be able to compartmentalize. I don't want to have a lukewarm fling with you, Bones, I want the real thing. Complicated, sexy, sentimental passion and everything else."

He was speaking with intensity that made her weak in her knees, and Brennan realized how big she had missed out so far because she had no idea what he was talking about. However, her stomach was doing somersaults; at least one part of her being seemed to be perfectly fine with the scenario he had created.

She thought of her weakness tonight, her unusual shyness. Was that what he wanted from her? Unsure if she could stand those intense emotions for more than one night, she bowed her head to avoid his gaze.

"Maybe we should just say 'goodbye᾽ to each other at the end of the night," she whispered.

He pulled her even tighter into his arms, reluctant to let her go in every sense of the word.

"One feeling you cannot label, and you're already flinching?"

Her head was spinning, and resting her brow right next to his smooth cheek, she tried to gather her thoughts.

'He's right,᾽ she had to admit. She was flinching. Her own words were echoing in her mind. She didn't want to drift with eyes wide close anymore because of cowardice. She had already missed so much. Taking a deep breath, she weighted her faith in him. Could she allow herself to fall freely? She didn't know. Would he catch her? He would. Could it hurt her? It could. Would it be worth it? It might.

"I can live with complicated and passionate, I think," she finally stated. After all, she had never gotten a B and she never would.

Her reward was a gentle brush of his lips right next to her ear.

"That's my girl."

Turmoil around them indicated the very end of the year, and when the band started to play the unavoidable tunes of "Auld Lang Syne", Brennan tilted her head, giving the man in her arms a honest smile. It seemed to be contagious somehow, and soon he was smiling right back at her, his whole face beaming with the possibilities they just had created.

His hand tangled in her hair, pulling her closer.

Around them, people were shouting the countdown.

Ten.

Nine.

Eight.

Seven.

Six.

Arching her back, she looked up to him, and simultaneously to his lowering head she lifted herself onto her tiptoes.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

"Happy new year, Bones."

"Happy new year, Booth."

She could feel his breath against her lips, and the second right before they connected, she allowed herself to see him with undisguised clarity.

Her partner who had saved her a millions times over, both her life and her heart. Something almighty and invisible crushed her soul for a moment, before being lifted completely, the expansion in her chest almost too much to bear.

Then his lips were on hers, so warm. She could still stop him, limit it to a simple peck to welcome the new year. She could. But she didn't. Her lips parted on their own volition, but every cell of her being was humming in agreement. His soft tongue sought entrance into her mouth, and she granted it willingly, reveling in the pure and sweet intimacy of this kiss.

His hands left her head to slide down her sides, his rough palms causing pleasant friction on the silky texture of her dress.

Her own fingers were tracing his face, feeling the hollow of his cheeks as he kissed and caressed and worshipped her. It was a kiss that reduced everything else to mere pettiness; the kind of kiss young girls dream about and elderly women remember with glassy eyes. The kind of kiss that opened the door to another path for Temperance Brennan and Seeley Booth.

He was kissing her with lips, tongue, hands and heart, and Booth felt a curtain of moisture in his eyes faced with her unrestrained response. She was pouring herself into the kiss, not holding back anything, and his faith in her throbbed brighter than ever.

Her mind didn't believe in forever? He could live with that because her kiss betrayed her words without shame.

When they finally had to break apart, both of them were panting heavily, and he reached out to her, crushing her against his body. Murmuring soft nonsense into her ear, Booth held her tightly to his form, and her warmth caressed every inch of skin and every fiber of heart muscle he possessed.

"Are you ready to take your chance?"

He searched her eyes, and his heart almost stopped at the myriad of emotions he found in them.

"Yes."

"Come home with me."

"Yes."

Unbeknownst to the two of them, an artist and a pathologist were celebrating a happy dance, congratulating themselves on the clear observation spot they had found. The beginning of the new year had provided them with emotions one could only find in old movies or smoky bar's piano men. Both of them were deeply touched at the sight of Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan so lost in each other, and both of them felt a sharp tug of envy born out of loneliness.

Smart as they were, they knew the chances about experiencing a love like this by themselves, but this particular love story was so big, so overwhelming, that they felt an extension of the light which was surrounding their friends warming their own hearts.

Going with the moment, Cam and Angela hugged each other affectionately, desperate to share the intensity of what they had witnessed with another human being, smiling at each other awkwardly afterwards.

Temperance Brennan and Seeley Booth – their love was beautiful.


	2. Something New

II. Something New

Half an hour later Booth opened his apartment door for Temperance Brennan. He hadn't planned to take her home, hadn't intended to seduce her. It felt as if they were balancing on the brink of something amazing, but if they slipped, they would fall hard and it would hurt. Awfully.

He was scared.

Turning around, the sight of her soothed his ache somehow. Moonlight and fireworks lit up her face, caressing her features. The black dress emphasized the elegance of her silhouette, and Booth wanted to look at her forever. He felt an emotion deep inside of him he had no words to describe, and for the very first time he realized in all its clarity how much this woman meant to him.

Scared to death.

"You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," he whispered hoarsely, and his candor touched her deeply.

"Booth, is this real?"

He crossed the distance with two steps, taking her hands into his own, bringing them to his burning face.

She could feel the bobbing movement of his Adam's apple as he swallowed, the soft lines on his forehead, the curve of his lips. It was real, and as always he had given her exactly what she needed. Evidence.

Taking another leap of faith, Brennan pulled him closer to seal it with a kiss, and one more time their lips were moving against each other in perfect synchrony. Soon their tongues joined in the game, eager to find and greet each other. They knew how to kiss each other – as if they had always done it – and both of them were overwhelmed by the profound rightness of it.

Just a few hours ago they had discussed this rationally, pondering their options as if they really had them, completely oblivious to the fact that the dices had long been thrown and that the decision had never been in their hands. They could have delayed the inevitable, but there are some things in this world which are simply meant to be.

She was his, he was hers, they were it.

Burying his hands in her armpits, Booth lifted her effortlessly into the air, looking up at her. Her feet were dangling somewhere around his shins, and Brennan found herself torn between protesting and giggling.

His entranced face tipped the balance, and she smiled down at him tenderly, cradling his cheeks in her palms.

"I think you have proven your physical strength quite impressively, Booth, you can let me down now."

Chuckling at her words, her started to spin them around, and now she was laughing, her stomach bubbling with millions of metaphorical butterflies.

Eventually, he had satisfied his alpha male tendencies and let her slide down his body carefully, creating pleasant friction between them. His hand found its way into her hair again, and he removed the pins that restrained the auburn mass until the silkiness could cascade down her shoulder blades.

"I'm in awe of you," he smiled.

His happiness made her lightheaded, and she felt the urge to tease him.

"I begin to realize that, Booth."

Running his fingers through her hair, he lowered his lips to her anew.

"You already wanna run?"

The high spirits abandoned her for a moment, and she tried to reassure him with her eyes.

"I don't want to and I won't. Do you trust me?"

"More than everything else."

"Then believe me, Booth, that I want you. Wholeheartedly."

He inhaled sharply, her words sending vulnerability and joy to his core.

"Is it possible to feel weak and strong at the same time?"

"Yes," came her prompt reply, and he regarded her with surprise.

"Just 'yes᾽? No poking, elaborating, rationalizing?"

She shook her head, and her hair waved around her shoulders like pure silk.

"It might be illogical and questionable, but I feel it as well, Booth."

He shook his head in wonder.

"Only a few hours into this, and you're already capable of reassuring me when it comes to emotions?"

A proud smile tugged at her lips, and he found her adoringly cute.

"Well, I have an exceptionally steep learning curve."

"What am I supposed to do with you now?"

Tilting her head in sudden shyness, she played with his fingers absentmindedly.

"I've never seen your bedroom..."

Considering the events of the night, her suggestion shouldn't have surprised him, but nevertheless, Booth felt a sting of insecurity.

"Are you sure? Because if you're not, we don't have to do that right now. We can just talk, have another drink and cuddle. I had no plan to lure you into my bed tonight."

She chuckled.

"Cuddle?"

Sensing his hurt expression, she made a quick recovery.

"I'm sure you're a great cuddler, Booth, and I'd love to do everything you suggested. But tonight I want to _feel_ you. Everything of you. Wasn't that what you were talking about?"

She tilted her head and looked at him earnestly, her lower lip between her teeth.

"I'm shit-scared to ruin whatever we shared tonight."

Exhaling deeply, she closed her eyes for a brief moment.

"I have no words to tell you how glad I am that I'm not the only one. Booth, do you want me?"

"Yes, oh, yes!"

She extended her arms.

"Then show it to me. Let's cross this stupid line."

Within a heartbeat she was in his arms, and he scooped her up, each of his palms supporting her back and her legs.

Kicking air, she protested against his chivalry for a moment, but he stilled her with a grunt, carrying her into the privacy of his bedroom and lowering her to the mattress.

Taking his time to let the picture sink it, his gaze caressed her lovingly, and she felt desire raising its head. Although she was still fully dressed, it seemed as if she was naked under the intensity in his eyes, and warmth spread in her lower belly.

Outstretching her arms, his name left her lips on a whisper, and something deep inside of him responded to her call.

Joining his partner on the bed, Booth covered her whole body with his own. She was so small, so delicate underneath him, and afraid that he might crush her, he braced on his elbows to support most of his weight.

Her palms roamed over his arms, tentatively at first until they closed around his biceps. She was nowhere near able to encircle him fully, and the evidence of his physical dominance sent a stream of heat to her core.

Lifting her head from the pillow, she searched his lips, gently tugging them between her teeth, and a low growl escaped his chest, the muscles in his arms working hard. Her tongue was damp and hot against his own, and Booth sucked her into his mouth greedily. Cupping her nape with his hand, he held her in place, as he deepened the kiss until he was stroking her so intimately that the feeling made another part of his body pulsate in jealousy.

Releasing her lips, Booth showered her face with feather-light kisses, one for each reason why she was the most amazing woman ever.

Her hands slipped under his tux, caressing the hollow of his lower back. Even through the fabric of his shirt Brennan could feel heat radiating from his body, and a hungry moan left her lips. She needed more.

She tugged at his jacket until he got her implications. Between the two of them they managed to free him from the superfluous garment in no time. His shirt followed shortly after, and soon Brennan drank in her partner's bare chest. She knew his body by heart, but for the first time she was allowed to touch him like it pleased her, to satisfy her curiosity.

Her fingers grazed over strong muscles and smooth skin, finding every scar and every sensitive spot that made him suck in a breath. Whenever he did it, his abdominal muscles clenched, and Brennan was addicted to this. She wanted to touch him forever, induce reaction after reaction from his firm body.

Unfortunately, he seemed to vote against it because suddenly he caught her wrists with his hand, pinning them above her head. Her protest didn't last long, though. The new position arched her back so that her chest was pressed closer against his, and immediately Booth lowered his head, licking the swell of her breasts.

Brennan bit her lips not to cry out at the sensation of his raspy tongue on her bare skin, but a muffled whimper escaped her nonetheless. It only seemed to fuel him, and soon his teeth were tugging at the fabric of her dress, eager to expose more skin, more flesh.

His exercises were quite futile, though, and with a frustrated growl he released her wrists and lifted her upper body from the mattress. Brennan sighed as he undressed her, her cheek pressed to his own until they had to break the contact so that he could pull the dress over her head. Looking at the mass of satin for one loving moment, Booth brought it to his nose, enjoying the exquisite material and the trace of her unique scent he found there.

"Did I tell you how much I love this dress? How wonderful you looked in it?"

Thinking back, she couldn't remember clearly, but there was another answer she could give.

"You made me feel truly beautiful tonight."

"Oh, you were. Are."

Extending his arm, the black satin ran through his fingers, falling to the floor with barely a sound.

Kicking aside her ballerinas, Brennan was almost naked now, only black panties and a matching bra remaining to cover the last of her secrets.

Locking his arms behind her back, Booth pulled her into a powerful embrace, and for the first time they met each other skin to skin. The contact was intense, electrifying even, and both of them moaned in pleasure.

After a moment of hugging and feeling, Booth lowered her again, bringing his lips back to her breasts. Her hands flew into his hair, as he sucked one lace-covered peak into his warm mouth. He licked her through the fabric, dampening it, and when he released her with a final suction, the chilly night air hit her taut nipple, eliciting a gasp from her.

Opening the front clasp of her bra with shaken fingers, Booth nuzzled her soft curves with his face, and she bit her lip again.

"I love the noises you make. Please, don't hold back, Baby."

She whimpered at his words, and he closed his lips around naked skin for the first time, gently grazing the sensitive nub with his teeth and taking it into his mouth. She was soft and firm at once, a perfect contradiction.

"Yes, yes, yes. Don't stop."

Her head rolled around on the pillow, and Brennan was slightly worried about this out-of-control experience. Never before had she felt so much from just a man's mouth on her breasts, and it seemed as if he was sucking and licking her right into sweet oblivion. Then he slid down her body, tracing a line with his tongue from her cleavage right to her belly button, and the fire was on the tail of his touch.

She felt his lips tracing the seam of her panties, and when he lowered them slowly, she sensed his question. He was waiting for a sign of acceptance from her, and weakly she spread her legs for him – just an inch, but it was enough to grant him permission, and he thanked her with little kisses around her belly button. Briefly, his tongue plunged into it, and Brennan felt a sharp tug at her insides, as all her heat seemed to gather in one particular spot low in her belly.

Her back arched as she threw her head back, and Booth brought his hand back to her breasts, gently kneading the soft globes, encouraging her response.

Suddenly his face was between her legs, and she knew that he was studying her, but lust had banned every thought of modesty and shame to a very distant corner of her mind. Still, she tried to protest.

"Booth, not that I'm complaining, but what you're doing there seems to be quite one-sided and not very fair."

He tore his eyes away from her female beauty, meeting her lust-clouded eyes.

Azure.

He filed this new piece of knowledge safely aside.

"Oh, believe me, Temperance, this is more than fair. You are so stunning. So beautiful. So adorable."

Holding her gaze, he brought his fingers between her legs. At the first touch of his knuckles, a whirlwind of emotions flickered through her irises, and her mouth opened in a silent "Oh".

More information to file away.

Then his finger dove into her, and her head fell back, out of sight.

She was so wet. For him, it was all for him, and Booth lowered his lips in awe to taste her for the first time. His tongue licked over the full length of her, lapping up her delicious dampness, skimming over the swollen bundle of nerves that was the center of her pleasure.

She tasted like exquisite wine, the salt of the ocean and the sweetest pie he had relished so far. Her flavor was the most delicious thing that had ever touched his tongue, and Booth felt an almost painful throbbing in his shaft as he reveled in his new favorite activity.

He had no rhythm, no plan, he could just lick and taste her with primal urge. Her whimpers and little cries drove him crazy, and she wriggled so much that he had to grab her hips to hold her in place.

Brennan was in heaven. Or hell – it depended on the fact if he would ever stop and if she might survive it he didn't. She had been pleasured orally before, and she had never been particularly fond of it. It required a certain level of trust she could rarely muster, and it was a favor men did, not something they truly needed or liked.

But Booth... Booth!

He was eating her up as if it was pure pleasure for him, and as he groaned against her flesh, it hit her with sudden clarity that he did that for himself not for her. The realization almost broke her, and Brennan fought hard against the orgasm. It was too early, she wasn't ready to let go.

Every muscle, every tendon in her body was tensed, and she breathed deeply in and out to control the stirrings he created with his plan-less, passionate pleasuring. Every time she thought she might have identified his rhythm, guess his next touch, he surprised her with a swirl of his tongue or a light suction on her clit, and she could start her calming process anew.

Eventually, his hands left her hips, sliding to the insides of her thighs, caressing the tender flesh there and opening her wider to his mouth. When his finger joined in his tongue, gently invading her body, stroking her so deeply, so intimately in exact the same moment he closed his lips fully around her swollen little bud, tugging it into his mouth completely, the explosion took her by surprise.

Crying out in frustration and pleasure, her whole body clenched uncontrollably around him, her legs spreading even wider on their own accord. Waves of sweet electricity rolled through her, and the noise of her own blood rushing through her veins made her almost deaf.

Then she fell back to the pillows as a puddle of limbs and bones, and still he was sucking her lightly, lapping her up. Her hand found his head, fingers tangling in his hair, gently tugging.

Distant pain in his hair roots invaded the haze of desire that was fogging his brain, and Booth looked up in surprise, finding drowsy eyes looking down on him, her irises almost gray.

'I've made her come!᾽ The realization overwhelmed him, and for a second he felt as if he might burst with pride. The second vanished. 'Shit.᾽

Crawling clumsily on top of her, Booth found her mouth for a gentle kiss, and Brennan could taste herself on his lips. Intimacy.

"So sorry, Babe, I got carried away. I've never lost control like that, forgive me."

A puzzled look decorated her face, and she tried to interrupt his ramblings.

"Booth. Booth! Look at me!"

Finally he did, anxiously awaiting her next words.

"That... that was new. I... I've never felt that way before. I think I like it when you lose control. It doesn't make me feel so bad for losing my own."

It touched him deeply that she shared her insecurities with him, and his heart opened faced with her beautiful vulnerability. It was breathtaking, and he cupped her face tenderly.

"Bones... Temperance... You mean so much to me, honey... If only you knew how much."

Something inside of her broke at the tone of his voice, and the strongest affection she had ever felt for another human being was burning her from the inside out.

"Booth... I think I might love you."

He gasped sharply, his eyes wide open, and Brennan felt so damn much, as she saw moisture pooling in his brown depths.

"Love me?" he whispered, discreetly covering his eyes with the back of his hand. Removing it slowly, she pulled him down to kiss his tears away.

"I have no reference value because I've never experienced something like this before, but still, it feels true."

He nuzzled her nose with his own, teetering on the brink of mushiness.

"Oh, Bones, I love you, too, so, so much."

His words were soft, almost reverent, but they came on a wave so warm, and it cradled her safely, carrying her away, lifting her. Dizziness was making her nauseous, and to prevent falling, Brennan wrapped her arms and legs tightly around his body, pressing him close to her.

He was trembling with suppressed sobs, and she felt him struggling against the weakness. Drawing slow circles on his back, she tried to calm him, murmuring soft endearments into his ear.

Somehow Brennan had always thought that she wasn't made for love, that it was a language she simply didn't speak. Right here, right know – all her walls broken, every pore of her consumed by pure... love for the man in her arms – she realized how wrong she had been about it.

"It's okay, Babe, I'm here to catch you."

He lifted his head to drown into her clear blue eyes.

"It's real?"

A nod.

"You're not going away."

Another nod.

"And you love me?"

Now she was nodding wildly, feeling almost giddy with happiness.

Cradling her face in his hands, Booth kissed her deeply and thoroughly. A roller coaster ride was nothing compared to this night, but never in his boldest dreams had he dared to imagine that she could actually tell him that she loved him.

His heart was beating fast, and the passion of the kiss caused a so far neglected part of his body to stir again.

Splayed out underneath her partner, his pelvis nestled between her open thighs, Brennan felt his swelling erection against her own core, and out of the clear blue sky arousal washed over her anew – but this time it was enriched, deeper.

Love. They were making love.

"Booth, take off the rest of your clothes, please. I want to feel you."

They were absolutely on the same page here, and without much fanfare Booth got up to loosen his belt buckle. She was watching him like spellbound, and as he unzipped his pants, her gaze fell to the prominent bulge, and she swallowed hard.

'Mine.᾽

A moment later he had his shoes and boxers discarded as well, standing naked in front of her for the very first time. Well, almost for the very first time, but today he _wanted_ her to see him. He was hard for her, and the evidence of his desire sent more wetness to her core.

"Oh, Booth. I cannot tell you how much I want to lick and suck and touch you, but I'm afraid I cannot wait anymore. I need you now. Please?"

He almost laughed at her words.

"I agree out of the bottom of my heart. You. Me. Now."

Crawling back on top of her, he positioned her underneath him so that he would be able to enter her in one swift motion.

One last time he sought permission with his eyes, and she placed a soft palm on his cheek.

"Yes."

Then he pushed forward, just an inch. Immediately, he was gripped by silky wetness, and he groaned as he lowered himself deeper and deeper until he filled her completely.

It was perfect.

Her head fell back on a gasp, and he licked the exposed skin of her throat.

"So... good..."

She moaned in response, and after a still moment of sweet torture, he started to move inside of her. Her legs crossed behind his back, and her hands found his buttocks, gently squeezing the firm muscles, pressing him tighter into her.

His tongue at her pulse point, Booth could feel her galloping heartbeat as he stroked her so intimately. It was as if she was made for him, and he wanted to howl at the sensations, so new and so familiar at the same time. A few hours ago he had confessed on a whisper that he could picture her in his home.

It had been the understatement of the year because she was his home.

She was whimpering now, the movement of her hips out of control, and he thrust into her with full force – until he hit that special spot which elicited another cry from her. She went rigid in his arms, except for the pulsating rhythm deep inside of her, and with a loud growl Booth surrendered himself to it, falling apart in the sweet paradise of her body for the first time of so many yet to come...

Silence followed, as their overheated skin cooled down in the first hours of the new year, and eventually Booth slid out of her, rolling down from her. Brennan mew at the loss of contact, but it didn't last long because a blink later she was back in his arms.

Wrapping her tighter into his embrace and the blanket, he rubbed her naked back in slow circles, earning a drowsy smile and a languid kiss from her.

"Forever, Booth."

Her words caught him off guard again, but he made a quick recovery; a skill he had perfected during the years with her.

"Baby, have I ever told you how much I love this steep learning curve of yours?"

Her lazy chuckle turned into a yawn.

"I just love you."

He kissed her head in a gesture full of gratitude.

"Happy new year, my love."

The End

_Happy new year to all of you :-) Reviews make me happy!_


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